Time Zones Currently Being Used in Nebraska
| Offset | Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Example City | Current Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTC -6 | MDT | Mountain Daylight Time | Scottsbluff | Wed, 8:19:35 pm |
| UTC -5 | CDT | Central Daylight Time | Lincoln | Wed, 9:19:35 pm |
| Time Zone Abbreviation & Name | Offset | Current Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MT | Mountain Time | UTC -7:00 / -6:00 | Wed, 8:19:35 pm |
| CT | Central Time | UTC -6:00 / -5:00 | Wed, 9:19:35 pm |
Note: Local time in these time zones changes when Daylight Saving Time begins and ends.
Nebraska east part is in the Central Time Zone, and its west part is in the Moutain Time Zone. Cities in Central Standard Time Zone include Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha, Beatrice, Fremont, South Sioux, Norfolk, Columbus, Grand Island, Hastings, Holdrege, Lexington, North Platte and Mccook. Cities in Moutain Standard Time Zone include Scotts Bluff, Chadron, Alliance, Sidney, Imperial and Ogallala. Daylight Saving Times are used in Nebraska time zones during summer. Currently the east part observes Central Daylight Time, the west part observes Mountain Daylight Time. Nebraska Time Zones Map Time Zone and Current Time of Nebraska Counties/Cities
What is the time zone of Nebraska?
The state of Nebraska is divided into two time zones. The majority, including the cities of Omaha and Lincoln are in the Central Time zone and observing daylight savings so there are two different clocks depending on the time of year.
The time zone of 19 western counties, covering about 35% of Nebraska, are in the Mountain Time zone and also observing daylight savings so there are two different clocks depending on the time of year.
| Central Time |
| Mountain Time |
Nebraska neighbouring states such as Kansas, Missouri, Iowa are in the Central time zone. But you will be entering the Mountain Time zone when crossing the border with Colorado and Wyoming. The state of South Dakota is just as Nebraska split into two zones so the time depends on the location where you enter.
The Nebraska boundary line between two time zones follows the easter county borders of Dundy, Chase, Perkins, Keith, Arthur and south/east border of Hooker. Cherry, being the largest county of the state, has dual times with central time being observed in about 35% of the land measured from the east county border.
The official border is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §71.7. (c):
Nebraska is using daylight savings as also documented in the Uniform Time Act of 1966. During daylight savings the time changes from Standard time to Daylight time, so CST becomes CDT and MST becomes MDT depending on the location.
It starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. In March the clock is moved forward from 02.00 am to 03.00 am (so you will lose an hour of sleep during the night). While in November it’s reversed as the clock is moved backward from 03.00 am to 02.00 am and you will gain an extra hour of sleep. One way of remembering the movement sequence is that clocks “spring forward and fall back”.
The total period of daylight savings lasts for 34 weeks which is about 65% of the year.
FAQ
Does Nebraska have two time zones?
Is Nebraska CST or EST?
What time zone does Nebraska use?
Where does Mountain Time begin in Nebraska?
